CHEM 341: Elementary Organic Chemistry Contact Information Matt (Doc) Bowman 262-2519 Chemistry 5232 [email protected]3 credits: Lecture 50 min three times per week Discussion 50 min once per week Lecture 1: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM Room: Psych 113 Office Hours Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00-4:30 PM Computer Science 1207 Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 AM Chemistry 1371 (or by appointment) Teaching Assistants Bao Li [email protected]Xiao Dong [email protected]Josephine Eshon [email protected]
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CHEM 341: Elementary Organic Chemistry Contact Information Matt (Doc) Bowman 262-2519 Chemistry 5232 [email protected] 3 credits: Lecture 50 min three times per week Discussion 50 min once per week Lecture 1: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM Room: Psych 113 Office Hours Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00-4:30 PM Computer Science 1207 Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 AM Chemistry 1371 (or by appointment) Teaching Assistants Bao Li [email protected] Xiao Dong [email protected] Josephine Eshon [email protected]
TA Office Hours TA office hours are held in Chemistry B317 (Organic TA Office) There is a schedule for various TA office hours posted outside Chem B317. The TA’s on the schedule are organic chemists and can answer your questions. They do not have to be assigned to our lecture section. Chem 341 is an unusual class with topics that might surprise an unaffiliated TA and as such it may take the TA a little bit of time to answer a question. (If someone asks me a question regarding general chemistry, I have to think quite a bit to figure out the correct answer. Though the deer in the headlight look in my eye usually is enough to convince them to find a gen chem TA). Matt’s Schedule: Matt Bowman this fall is lecturing for two courses Chem 341 and Chem 345. There are 190 students in 341 and 271 students in 345. Matt will try to keep everything straight, but will not remember necessarily which student is in which lecture. These lectures are back to back but in different buildings. Because he has to split his mind to deal with each class, he might not be completely there. There will be weeks in which there will be an exam happening for both classes. Actually, on one day, both classes will have an exam. At which point, any vestiges of his sanity will disappear and there will be drool, lots and lots of drool. (His sanity is not being helped much right now as Matt Bowman is writing in the third person). Please state in any email correspondence with him whether you are in 341 or 345. The answer to your questions may differ significantly. Please be patient. If he does not respond within 12 hours, try again. Also, he does have a hand in at least one laboratory course (Chem 342) so again please be patient.
Textbook: Essentials of Organic Chemistry, Dewick or any organic textbook. There are page numbers of Dewick listed in the syllabus along with keywords you can use to look up in the index of an organic textbook or even google. Quite a few of my course evaluations in the past stated that they never read or opened the book. I do not recommend this course of action, but I do understand it. Video lectures Canvas will host a variety of video lectures. These are typically 5-10 minutes long. They are there to highlight important concepts or clarify points in organic chemistry. Problem sets There will be a problem set for each lecture day except for the day of an exam or the day preceding an exam. These problem sets will not be graded and are there to help you out. Keys will be available by the next lecture day on canvas. Practice exams I will make at least three practice exams available for each exam. The exams will be very similar to the practice exams in terms of directions. Answer keys for these exams will also be available. DO NOT SIMPLY LOOK AT THE KEY. ATTEMPT THE PRACTICE EXAM FIRST. HAVE ANOTHER STUDENT IN THE CLASS GRADE IT AS YOU GRADE THEIRS. DISCUSS DISCREPANCIES AND ONLY THEN LOOK AT THE KEY. Also, there will time to time be errors on the key. Please let Matt know. Lecture Capture I will do my best to record all of the lectures on video and post them on canvas. However, please still come to lecture. Sometimes technical difficulties occur and a lecture is not available.
Grading (As transparent as I can be) The grade will be based on exams and quizzes. The maximum number of points possible will be 630 points. (There will be more than that available). ABCDF SIMPLY STATED If you earn 90% of the total points, you will receive an A. If you earn 77% of the total points, you will receive at least a B. If you earn 57% of the total points, you will receive at least a C. If you earn 40% of the total points, you will receive at least a D. So if you receive an 88%, this can be an A, AB, or B depending on the final distribution. 89.5% is considered to be 90%. 89.499999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% is considered to be 89%. That is just how it is. The actual lines are determined by a mixture of factors: final distribution, the historical grade history of all of the sections of Chem 345, the phase of the moon, where the darts end up on the board, improvement in the course, etc… There are a few things that I can say with certainty: The 40% line is a hard line. Any score below that will be an F. Regardless what exam averages are. The C line will never be lowered below 50%. A 52% may be a C or D. Confusion about curves and AB’s and BC’s. The AB range and BC range is very small. Historically for organic chemistry it is small. For my classes, it has typically been one or two percentage points. The cutoffs represented above are the curve. This is based on several semesters of organic chemistry, so you know how you are doing throughout the semester. The lines may dip a little, but not much. Especially the A line. The last few times I’ve taught, it has barely budged. Please do not be surprised if your total points are 85% and your letter grade is a B. If the lines are lowered, they will be lowered so that 25% of the class will receive at least an AB and at least 55% of the class will receive at least a BC. The DF line will not move and the C line will never dip below 50%. The Final Cutoffs will not be released. There will always be someone with the highest AB, highest B, and so on. That is the way of the world. It is conceivable that someone will miss a cutoff by one point. We will try to choose the cutoffs so that does not happen. There will not be any extra credit offered.
Exams: There are four regular exams plus the final exam. Each regular exam will be worth 100 points. The regular exams will be Wednesday evening exams held from 7:15 to 8:45 pm in a lecture hall to be posted on canvas on a handout called Exam Information Sheet. Please check your schedules for potential conflicts. The dates are September 27, October 18, November 15, and November 29. Please notify me ASAP by email of any conflicts so alternative arrangements can be made. Notifying me the week of an exam is NOT ADVISABLE as I will be cranky. You may not drop any exam. The final exam is worth 200 points and cannot be dropped. It will take place on Wednesday, December 20 from 10:05 am to 12:05 pm. Unfortunately, this date is set by the University and I can only grant makeup exams in a VERY limited manner such as two exams within a 24 hour period. Please do not ask for a makeup exam due to airline tickets going home for winter break. I’m afraid that is not listed as a valid reason. Exams will be graded and returned at the next lecture. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PICK THEM UP. LOOK AT THEM. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED. MAKE SURE THE SCORES WERE ENTERED CORRECTLY. YOU WILL HAVE ONLY ONE WEEK TO REPORT DISCREPANCIES. If you pick up your exam within one week of taking the exam, you will receive one extra credit point. Exam regrade policy: Mistakes in exam grading will occasionally be made. You will have one week after exams are returned to submit the entire exam for regrading. Keep in mind, since mistakes may or may not be in your favor, the exam grade can actually be lowered. All decisions on the regrades are final. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE AN ANSWER AND SUBMIT IT FOR A REGRADE. THIS IS ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND WILL BE DEALT WITH HARSHLY. Regrade submittal procedure: Email Matt Bowman that you are submitting an exam for a regrade. Write on the exam score sheet which problem needs to be regraded and why. DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE. Place the exam in Matt Bowman’s mailbox in Chemistry 1146. Any student that falls just below a cutoff will have their final exam automatically regraded.
Exam Penalties: Though technically, the regular exams are worth 100 points apiece and the final exam is worth 200 points, it is possible to score a negative value on the exam. There are four exam penalties that you should be aware of and AVOID at all costs. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED. Texas Carbon Penalty (TCP): If one of your answers has a carbon drawn that has five bonds to it, that is an affront to organic chemistry. Such a blasphemous creation will result in a five point penalty in addition to missing any points on that question. Acid-Base Arrow Question (ABAQ): To describe what is happening in a reaction, chemists used the curved arrow notation. This shows the movement of electrons. The most important example of this is in acid-base reactions. I will show you the answer to this question along with examples of wrong answers. THIS IS THE ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. It is used in 343, 345, 344, biochemistry, etc… If you cannot answer this question, then -5 points. Name Penalty: The most important question on any exam is the one that has you fill in the following blank: Name:____________ Yet, the number of people that do not do this are staggering. (8% of the exams last spring left this blank or missed it). EIGHT PERCENT!!!!!!!! There is no excuse for this. THIS IS YOUR WARNING!
1.) You will need to write your name (First and Last) on the name line appearing on the scoresheet and the page with problem one.
2.) You will need to write the first two letters of your last name (legibly) in a box. (NOT INITIALS)
You must do both of these to avoid the Name penalty. This penalty will be two points. If you email me the word “basilisk” in the subject line by Monday, Sep 11 you will receive 2 bonus points. By Monday, Sep 18, it will only be one bonus point. After Sep 18, no points will be awarded. Time Penalty: Writing on the exam before the TA’s say start or after time is called can be a five point penalty.
After that whole exam penalty rant, here is a photo of a bunny.
Drawing carbons with 5 bonds are trademark acts of monsters and bunny-haters.
Take Home Quizzes: There will be four take-home quizzes worth 10 points each. You can drop one quiz. They will be due the following week in Matt Bowman’s mailbox in Chemistry 1146. The take home quiz is open book, open note, open classmate, but is not open TA/tutor/me. By open classmate I mean it is okay to converse with one another, but it is absolutely NOT okay to dissect each other or figure out answers by the use of haruspicy. In any event, I suggest you try the quiz on your own first. I would tell you the dates in the syllabus about when these quizzes are, but that would involve a level of organization that frankly I do not possess. Leter of Recumdendation Policee: I try to teech about ~ 802.5 undergarduates each year. Unfortunately I wont be able to get to know all of you. That makes righting detailed rec leters nearly impossible. Rec leters from me will include grade and class rank and my impresion of you. I can rite them but I highly suggest that u git a rec from a prof in a small, higher level curse or bitter yet a prof that u work four in a research groop. They are more likely to give a better and more fuller depiction of you and will likely use spell check.
Yup. That pretty much sums me up (only more to the right on that particular writing spectrum).
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
title: "How I Write" originally published 1/27/2017
Academic Misconduct You are all adults. There is no reason to cheat, but plenty of reasons not to. An F in the course is one of many reasons. Cheat sheets, notes, textbooks, someone else's paper, iPods, cell phones, a crystal ball bearing the disembodied spirit of the Great Organic Chemist R. B. Woodward, etc… are prohibited from the exam. Use of these prohibited materials during an exam will result in a zero for the exam score. A zero on an exam due to cheating cannot be dropped. You will only be allowed pencils/pens and model kits for the exams. A percentage of the exams will be photocopied. Should an answer be changed and submitted for a regrading, academic misconduct has occurred and the perpetrator will receive an F in the course and be reported to the Dean’s office. Since it is possible that not all students will take the exam at the same time, it is theoretically possible for some students to receive advance knowledge of an exam. Students leaking test questions to other students that have not taken the exam is also regarded as academic misconduct and shall be dealt with accordingly. I have been advised by the staff (some of them legal staff) that I cannot use pepper spray in dealing with wandering eyes. I will try to remember to remind the TAs proctoring the exams of that advice. If the TAs suspect anyone of this condition, they will announce for everyone to keep their eyes on their paper. If the problem persists, the TAs have the discretionary power to move any student suspected during an exam. You must be above reproach. Exams of adjacent students will be examined, and should there be ample evidence, lower exam scores including zeroes will be given to the perpetrator. Please fight against wandering eyes. Please shield your paper the best you can to remove any temptation from others. DO NOT TRY TO CHEAT. I have failed students in the past and I will not hesitate to do so this semester. I have no patience or respect for those that cheat.
Study tips Between 1-4 hours after each lecture, start the problem set. Do not wait for the answer key to be posted to start the problem set. Between 4-8 hours after each lecture, recopy your notes for that lecture. Look for the patterns. Organic chemistry is very cumulative. Once you start, you cannot stop. (Oh and you need to start right away). Material on exam I will be tested again on exams II, III, IV, and the Final. Likewise, with subsequent topics. The problem sets will not only cover current material but past material as well. In the course schedule, the relevant page numbers from the text are listed. The exams are going to be based on the material from the lectures, lecture notes, problem sets, and discussions. The text is there to help you understand the material. I strongly suggest that you read the relevant pages either before or after lecture. Make flash cards. Carry these with you wherever you go. Flip through them throughout each day. A very good way to study is to study in groups. Multiple problem sets will be available to work on along with several practice exams. I suggest you form groups to study in. You can go about this by talking to classmates in discussion, etc… The sooner you set up these groups the better off you will be. If you wish a classroom to meet in, I can see about reserving one for you. The best way to understand organic chemistry is constant practice. The TA's and I will do our best to provide quite a bit of practice in the form of problem sets and practice exams. Should you desire more practice, there are the problems at the end of each chapter in the book as well as multiple websites. Should you find a discrepancy in what the TA's, book, internet, or myself, please bring it to our attention immediately. It may be a case of a subtlety, an outright error, or an over generalization. Regardless, we'll try to explain the discrepancy.
Discussion Sections There is a lot of material to cover, and little time to cover it. Sometimes, what I can briefly cover in the lecture will be better covered in your discussion section. The TAs in this course have experience in teaching organic chemistry, through labs, discussion sections, and tutoring. They may have a different way of looking at a topic. As a result, if you do not understand something from me, you may understand it from them. All discussion sections are held in the chemistry building. Section 301 Tuesdays 3:30-4:20 2373 Xiao Dong Section 302 Tuesdays 4:35-5:25 2373 Josephine Eshon Section 303 Mondays 3:30-4:20 B357 Xiao Dong Section 304 Mondays 4:35-5:25 B357 Josephine Eshon Section 305 Mondays 2:25-3:15 2373 Bao Li Section 306 Tuesdays 2:25-3:15 B351 Bao Li Proper use of discussion sections: Make mistakes. People learn from mistakes. Be vocal. Go to the front of the board and write your answers. If they are correct, congratulations. If they are incorrect, all the better as it gives an opportunity to learn something and help out your fellow classmates. Remember, you are only really judged by your exams. Not your peers. Do not be afraid making mistakes. Better to make them in discussion than on an exam. There are many correct answers in organic chemistry (and many more incorrect ones). The TA’s are there to give insight on the nuances of organic chemistry. Get to know your fellow students. Set up study sessions with them. Try problems from problem sets independently and then consult on the answers before looking at the answer key. Try teaching each other. Improper use of discussion sections: Just sitting there.
Additional Help In addition to the TA's and my office hours, there are a couple of places where you can find assistance. The Organic TA Office is in room B317. There is a schedule posted outside the door of various TA's and when they will be available to help you. Feel free to ask any of them for help even if they are not a TA for Chem 343. Alpha Chi Sigma Chemistry Fraternity has offered tutoring for chemistry classes in the past. Please contact them about their current help sessions. GUTS offers tutors as well. They can be contacted at: Student Activity Center Office #4413 333 E Campus Mall Madison, WI 53715-1380 Phone: 608-263-5666 E-mail: [email protected] http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/ There are also private tutors available. The General Chemistry Office (Room 1328) has a list of tutors and prices. If you do work with a tutor, please let them know that I post notes, problem sets, practice exams, and tutorials on canvas. Anyone can access the canvas by going to: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/50559
Chem 341: Survey Please answer the following questions so I can adapt Chem 341 to better suit your needs. Please turn this page in to Matt Bowman's mailbox in Chemistry 1146 by September 13. What is your year? (Freshman, Grad Student, Returning Adult, etc…) What is your major? What do you hope to get out of this class? (Besides a good grade) When is the ideal time for office hours (day and time)? Do you learn a lot from textbooks? What other classes are you currently enrolled in? Have you found electronic homework to be helpful in your other classes?
